BobVila.com

I am currently refinishing our knotty fir cabinets. I had a really hard time getting the very dark stain off of our wood, but fir is a soft wood. I tried using wood strippers and I didn't get very far. So, now I am sanding them with a courser grade of sandpaper first and then moving to a lighter and lighter grit as I go until it is smooth. I am not even bothering with the strippers anymore. It is time consuming, but I am enjoying watching the process happen. My cabinets are looking absolutely beautiful! We have cabinets with a veneer base and there was solid wood pieces that were attached around the edge of each door for design purposes. Be VERY careful if you have any veneer on your doors or if the foundation for your cabinets is made out of it! You don't want to sand too much. You will take the veneer off and reach the plywood underneath...which is not nearly as attractive! My husband got a little wild with the electric sander on our cabinet foundation...thank goodness it was in an inconspicious area! I don't know how much sanding you may have...just keep this in mind. You also need to think ahead about how you are going to do it...a tip...I would re-stain, if possible, all in the same day so you keep the color depth the same. Remember that your cabinets around your range tend to get grease build up from cooking...If possible, save that area as the last to strip. If you can, I would strip, re-stain all of the cabinets, and clear coat it around the range area before you use it again. Good luck! Hope I was some help!